


The Importance of Bonds

by wanderingjedihistorian (RangerJedi67)



Series: Flufftober 2020 [1]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, Gen, He loves them too - Freeform, Light Angst, Obi-Wan Bonds With His Troops, The 212th love their Jedi, clone need appreciation too, the clones deserved better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:55:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26743990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RangerJedi67/pseuds/wanderingjedihistorian
Summary: Obi-Wan gets to know his troopers. The 212th is thrilled to bond with their General.
Series: Flufftober 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946785
Comments: 78
Kudos: 408
Collections: Flufftober 2020





	1. It Begins With Books

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Flufftober!
> 
> This story will be six chapters, each featuring a Flufftober Prompt. Some will also be fills for Clone-tober prompts! Each chapter will specify.
> 
> Chapter 1: Flufftober prompt #1 In the shadows, Clone-tober #1 Boil
> 
> Many thanks to [Yqv](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yqv/pseuds/yqv) for letting me borrow their OCs Snacks and Screw!

CWCWCWCWCWCW

Many of the Jedi quickly came to care for their troops, but they realized how little they truly knew about them. The troopers kept much of themselves hidden. Obi-Wan wanted to change that, if the men were willing.

“Commander, if I might have a moment,” he said to Cody after he knocked on the Commander’s office door.

“Of course, General. What do you need, sir?” the clone asked.

“A number of us have noticed that the men don’t seem to do much in the way of recreational activities. Are we not providing the space and resources required for favorite activities?” Obi-Wan asked. “Please don’t hesitate to let me know what the men need, Commander. If it is within my power, I will make arrangements for it.”

For a long moment Cody just stared at him. Obi-Wan wasn’t sure what Cody was looking for, but he must have found it.

“It’s...a number of things, sir. There were activities we enjoyed on Kamino that there just isn’t room for on a ship, even one the size of the _Negotiator._ But on the whole, General, _recreation_ wasn’t exactly on the Kaminoans priority list for us. A lot of the things we enjoy we had to hide or sneak,” Cody explained slowly.

Obi-Wan’s heart ached. That was so unfair. The clones deserved better than that.

“Please, Cody. Tell me. And I’ll make sure word gets to the other Generals. You are so much more than the Kaminoans tried to tell you. Please don’t feel that you, any of you, have to hide. Not from me, from us, from the Jedi. You don’t need to hide your true selves in the shadows. You don’t have to hide your interests. I may not be able to provide everything the men would enjoy having, but I will do what I can,” he promised.

Cody’s face softened.

“Thank you, General. Being accepted by our Jedi for _all_ that we are, it means a lot. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, holonovels would be greatly appreciated. Some basic sports equipment for the gym would be good. Many of our men would enjoy that,” he offered.

Such simple things to ask for. Obi-Wan was ashamed he hadn’t thought of them sooner.

“Of course. I only have a few dozen books on my personal datapad at the moment, but would be happy to share them. When we get back to Coruscant next week, I will get more and sports equipment will be easy enough, I promise you,” the Jedi said. 

He’d do it himself if he couldn’t get the GAR to pay for it. He was sure Dex would help out with the equipment. Hmm, Dex. He would also be a good resource for a few other things. And if money became a problem, Dex always knew where the best games of sabaac were being played.

“If I got a vid screen and a holoprojecter would the men be interested in shows and movies? I can’t promise it would be the most up to date but I could likely get a decent sized library together,” he mused. “It would be easy enough to convert a room for them.”

Bail could help with that part and he doubted the man would mind once he knew what it was for. He would probably be a good resource for more books too. He knew Alderaan believed in educational and entertainment resources being accessible for everyone, so there were large public libraries there. Yes, Bail would need to be his first call. Anakin could help him put together the means to store the data, especially if he offered to share so the 501st could have access as well. Yes, that was a good plan. Once they proved it could work without being too much of a drain on ship resources or too distracting for the men, they could push the issue of official GAR support and roll out similar things to the whole fleet.

“General,” Cody said, his voice shocked enough to jolt Obi-Wan from his thoughts. “We wouldn’t ask for so much.”

Obi-Wan had thought his heart ached before, but that statement felt like a dagger right to the heart. Kark waiting. Entertainment for the men needed to be rolled out fleet wide as soon as possible. They deserved _something_ other than fighting.

“Oh Cody, it isn’t too much at all. I’m only sorry we didn’t think of these things immediately. I will send a few comms and by the time we are leaving Coruscant again everything will be ready. And I will make sure to communicate these things to the rest of the Council so that we start outfitting all of the ships properly. You all do so much, fight so hard. We should do better for you in your downtime too,” Obi-Wan said gently.

The Commander stared at his General, looking as if such simple words didn’t make any sense to him.

“But we’re just clones,” Cody said after a long moment, voice low.

It _hurt_ and Obi-Wan was grateful there weren’t any other Force sensitives on his ship at the moment or _he_ would be on the receiving end of the lecture he usually gave Anakin. Anger roared through him. First comm Bail about what kind of library he could help pull together. Then Shaak Ti. Someone needed to have _words_ with the Kaminoans. 

CWCWCWCWCW

Basic sports equipment was easy enough to put through standard GAR requisition requests, so the gyms fleet wide were outfitted with things for sports games quickly. Additional mats were added to those requests. If those mats were used to create cushioned spaces for large gatherings rather than training...well, no one needed to know _that._

A single comm call with Bail produced better results than Obi-Wan could have hoped for on the entertainment front. Bail mentioned the project to Padme and a few other Senators he trusted. Soon a vast library of books, shows and movies was put together to be made accessible to all the troops in the GAR. Being able to watch together on bigger screens would be nice, but the troopers were happy to have access to so much even if it was just on their datapads. Between Dex knowing people and Anakin’s abilities with mechanics, the 212th and 501st soon possessed a holoprojecter and screen on each ship. The Temple Quartermaster provided a number of “old spare” couches and dozens of extra cushions to help make the spaces more comfortable. Obi-Wan and Anakin didn’t tell the troopers that many of these came from Temple stores and that those stores came from cleaning out the apartments of Jedi who had been killed. They didn’t need to know those details.

“We never would have expected all of this,” Cody said quietly as he surveyed the newly set up rec room on the _Negotiator._

Once again Obi-Wan found himself biting back guilt.

“We should have thought to provide it right away.”

“You’re doing it now.”

CWCWCWCWCWCWCW

As time passed, the new shinies were always excited to find out about the entertainment available to them thanks to their Jedi generals. Many of them found themselves overwhelmed and unsure where to start.

“Why don’t you ask the General?” Boil suggested irritably one day, after the sixth Shiny in the last hour commented on the wide variety of books available.

All eyes in the rec room turned towards him.

“That’s not a bad idea, actually,” Waxer agreed. “The General loves to read. He’d probably have good suggestions, if you told him the types of things that interest you.”

The group of shinies looked very nervous about that suggestion. They didn’t think they could just walk right up to the _General_ like that.

“The General is really nice. No need to be so worried,” Trapper assured.

Eventually Waxer ~~ordered~~ volunteered Boil to go with the shinies to talk to the General. Boil sighed in exaggerated irritation before telling the shinies to follow him.

“Now, if he’s in his office, it’s fine to stop by. If he can’t talk right then, he’ll let you know. He’ll never be mad at you for it,” Boil explained as he hit the chime.

“Come in!” The General said from the other side of the door.

The shinies froze. Not only was the General in his office, but the Marshall Commander was too!

“Is everything alright?” Cody asked immediately.

“Everything’s fine, sirs. If you’re busy, we don’t bother you,” Boil said smoothly.

Cody quirked an eyebrow. It was obvious the sergeant was only being so by the book because of the shinies.

“We can take a few moments,” Obi-Wan said with a reassuring smile.

“Um. Well. Sergeant Boil said you wouldn’t mind if we asked your opinion,” one of the shinies said.

“What’s your name, if you’d care to share it. I don’t believe we’ve met yet,” the General said kindly.

“I’m Snacks, sir. So named because well...I like snacks. I might have raided the dining hall back on Kamino a time or two. I like food...and I’m rambling. Sorry sir!” Snacks said with a grimace.

Obi-Wan’s smile seemed to put the shinies at ease.

“That’s quite alright!” He assured. “Now what did you want to ask about?”

“Books, sir. There’s just so many in the library and I don’t even know where to start!” Snacks exclaimed.

Fond was the only way to accurately describe the look on Obi-Wan’s face.

“I would be happy to make some suggestions if you’d like,” he offered. At Snacks’ vigorous nod his said, “There’s a fascinating Alderaanian book series called _The Galaxy One Taste at a Time._ The main character finds a new adventure in each book, but they are themed around a specific dish the location is famous for. You don’t have to read them in order, each is a self-contained story. The library also includes cookbooks from Alderaan, Naboo, Chandrilla, Chalacta, Pantora and a dozen or so other worlds. Maybe one of those would interest you? Alderaanian, Nubian and Chalactan cookbooks often include histories of the dishes in addition to the recipes.”

Snacks’ eyes lit up. “That sounds perfect, sir, thank you!”

“You are very welcome,” Obi-Wan said. “What about the rest of you?”

Snacks looked at his batchmate who tended to be a little shier than he himself was. “Screw likes puns and tinkering.” 

Screw’s eyes widened, not expecting the sudden attention.

“Well, then I highly recommend _10,010 Puns to Use in Daily Life_ or any of the _Today’s Most Popular Machines_ technical manuals,” the General said.

Screw forced out a nervous, “Thank you, General.”

“Happy to help,” the Jedi assured.

CWCWCWCWCWCWCW

It became a tradition after that. Overwhelmed new shinies would go to the General for advice. He started putting together a list, complete with commentary and reviews from clones who had read the books on the list.

It became a 212th rite of passage, to go to the General for a book suggestion.

The clones all realized that the General enjoyed it as much as they did. It made everyone happy.

CWCWCWCWCWCWCW


	2. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Point Rain, everyone needs comfort and reassurance. The troopers want their General to be part of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flufftober prompt #2: Comfort
> 
> Cuddles piles and cuteness ahead!
> 
> Many thanks to Shira for betaing this chapter!

CWCWCWCWCW

  
They might have won the battle in the end, but this battle on Geonosis barely went better than the first.

So many killed before they even managed to _land._ Obi-Wan had felt the deaths of the troopers in his ship keenly. He was so grateful that Trapper had survived the crash, but he wished he had been able to save some of the others. So many more died trying to hold the landing site waiting for the other teams; so many died as they formed a perimeter and tried to protect _him._

He shook his head to clear the dark thoughts as he stood to make himself some tea. He knew he needed to rest but his mind was too active for it at the moment. Maybe a soothing drink and some mediation would help.

There was a knock on his door. 

“Come in, Cody,” he called.

It had to be his Commander; none of the others dared come to his quarters. His men were comfortable coming to him when he was in his office, but there was something about his quarters that seemed to be a barrier they didn’t feel comfortable crossing.

“Evening, General. How are you feeling?” Cody asked, stepping inside.

“Sore, but otherwise alright,” the General admitted. “I was just about to make some tea. Would you care for a cup?” 

He knew better than to outright lie to Cody about his injuries. His Commander had ways of finding out, so it was best to be honest upfront. 

“Good to hear. No thank you, sir. I wanted to see if you were interested in joining us. Some of the boys are gathering in one of the gyms. A lot of us just…want to be close to everyone. We’d like you to come too,” the Commander said. He quickly added, “If you’d like.”

He wasn’t sure if the General would be interested but if he were, they wanted him to be there. They were all feeling a little shaky after the events on Geonosis. He also knew the bonding time would be good for the General himself.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Obi-Wan demurred. “I want the men to be able to relax and rest.”

That wasn’t a no. It meant the General wanted to be there but was doubting that he belonged. Cody wasn’t above playing dirty.

“Sir, Trapper would be a lot more at ease if you were there,” he told the Jedi.

The Commander knew it was a bit of a low blow, but he knew his General, knew how he’d react to those words.

The Jedi blinked, a bit startled. Well. How was he supposed to ignore that? If his presence would be a comfort to his men, he would do it.

“Then I will join you,” Obi-wan agreed. 

Cody smiled.

“Thank you,” he replied. He added gently, “You have a place with us, General. Please don’t doubt that.”

Obi-Wan smiled softly.

“Thank you.”

The Jedi followed his Commander to the smaller gym they were using for this. He smiled as he noted the mats that they had pushed together to form a softer surface for this. His heart ached as he noticed the blankets some of the men had. Getting them anything but standard issue gray had been a challenge. After several attempts, the GAR was willing to authorize a dark blue in addition to the gray. The Jedi were still working on that. Obi-Wan made a mental note to bring it up with Plo again. The men deserved more than just dark, bland scratchy blankets. They deserved color and comfort too. Force knew the GAR did little to offer any of that to the clones, despite all that it demanded from them. 

He let Cody herd him towards the back and settled into a spot along the wall. He appreciated being able to see the room. Cody removed his armor, setting it on a nearby rack, then settled into the space on Obi-Wan’s right, not hesitating to sit close. Trapper, Waxer, Boil, Wooley and Longshot quickly moved to them. Trapper hesitated for a brief moment as he eyed the spot on Obi-Wan’s left.

“It’s alright,” Obi-Wan said gently.

Trapper took that as the permission it was and promptly relocated to his General’s side. 

“I’m glad you’re ok, sir,” Trapper said quietly as he settled down, close but not quite daring to touch.

“And I am glad that you are alright,” the Jedi replied. 

He shifted a little closer, just brushing his arm against the trooper’s. Trapper shifted too, ever so gently pressing their shoulders together. Obi-Wan smiled softly.

More men filtered in and settled down next to friends and squad mates. Some sat in little groups and talked in low tones. Some just cuddled close to others in silence. Some slept, curled tightly to one another. 

Obi-Wan relaxed as he let himself soak up the contentment permeating the room. His men were relaxed and for the moment, safe. He let himself slip into a light meditation, surrounded by their warmth and care.

CWCWCWCWCW

Sometime later he emerged from the meditation. Many of the men had drifted off to sleep while he meditated. He wondered if that meant he should leave? Obi-Wan realized Trapper wasn’t at his side anymore. But before he could ask Cody if the younger trooper had left, he realized what had happened. Trapper was laying down with his back pressed against Obi-Wan’s leg. Well. That settled _that._ It would be rude of him to leave and disturb the sleeping trooper.

“Waxer is bringing you a blanket,” Cody said softly. 

The Jedi turned to his Commander.

“He didn’t have to do that. I would have been fine,” he assured.

“He wanted to,” the clone countered. “You should try to get some sleep.”

The tone was gentle but serious. It was one Obi-Wan was remarkably familiar with. He hadn’t heard Cody use it with anyone but him.

“I’m alright, Cody. Really.”

“Please, sir.”

Obi-Wan could feel the genuine concern radiating from his Commander. It wouldn’t do to worry him. 

“Very well,” he acquiesced.

He leaned back against the wall. A short moment later Waxer returned with the promised blanket.

“You aren’t really going to try to sleep like _that_ are you?” the lieutenant asked with a frown. 

Obi-Wan frowned but accepted the blanket. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with his position and started to say so, but Cody beat him to it.

“Udesii, vod. I’ve got him.”

The Jedi blinked. 

“Cody?”

“Lean on me, General,” his Commander said.

“Cody, I couldn’t possibly…”

“Sir. It’s ok,” Cody said, voice soft. “Leaning on me has to be better than the wall. Took my armor off and everything.”

Obi-Wan smiled at the gentle teasing.

“If you’re sure you don’t mind,” he said quietly.

“Wouldn’t have offered if I minded,” Cody rebuked gently.

Obi-Wan lay his head on his Commander’s shoulder. Cody shifted closer, moved his arm so it was wrapped around his General, easing the man a bit further down.

“Rest, General. I’ve got you.”

Obi-Wan was utterly certain he had the best troopers in the GAR.

CWCWCWCWCW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Udesii, vod- calm down, brother


	3. Finding the Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody tries to find the words to a explain a few things to his General.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fluff with Obi-Wan and his troops! This time, Cody has some things to say. 
> 
> This chapter covers the following prompts:  
> Flufftober #9 Monochromatic  
> Clonetober #9: General

CWCWCWCWCWCW

Life on Kamino was dull. The walls and hallways were monochromatic. The areas where the clones lived and trained were gray, dull, _lifeless_ almost. And if the long necks had gotten their way, the clones would have been no better. They were discouraged from showing anything that didn’t conform to the Kaminoans cold standards.

But the Jedi? At first, in between battles, the ships were just seas of identical armor. On Kamino they had to hide so much of their personalities and individuality. Actually serving their Jedi hadn’t seemed like it would be any different. _And then suddenly it was._ They were encouraged to express themselves, finally allowed to show all the individuality that Kamino had tried to stamp out of them. Armor was personalized, with each trooper choosing their own design. Tattoos became popular. The men devoured the books and movies and shows that their Jedi had collected for them. They learned new sports and games. The Jedi encouraged them to _live,_ not just exist. It was an unexpected but welcome change.

Cody was grateful to his General for seeing a shortcoming and addressing it. He was grateful the other Generals had listened too. He was grateful he could enjoy the things his General had gathered for them without feeling guilty that his brothers serving others went without. For months he had been trying to figure out how to explain this to his General. He needed his General to _understand_. 

“Is everything alright, Cody?” the General asked gently, carefully.

He was always careful when asking them things, always quick to reassure them that they didn’t _have_ to answer him if they didn’t want to. He reminded them that the only time they were required to answer a question from him was if it pertained to a mission. The clones were made for the Jedi, but the Kaminoans had made it clear they were _products_ , not _people_. Cody knew many of his brothers struggled with that. Some of them were confident that they were people just like any natborn. Others couldn’t shake the Kaminoans’ lessons. So for the Jedi to try so hard for them meant worlds more than the Jedi realized.

“We were made for the Jedi,” Cody began slowly. He watched the shadowed look appear on his General’s face, the one that always made an appearance when any of them said something along those lines. He pressed on. “We were made for the Jedi, but we had no idea what serving you would really be like. We didn’t...expect that you would care so much.”

“I’m just sorry more don’t,” Obi-Wan whispered, pained. 

“You can’t control other people. _You_ choose to care, to be kind and supportive. You encourage others to do the same. You fight with us. You _fight for us_. It means a great deal, General. To all of us. And I don’t think we’ve ever told you that,” Cody finished.

Obi-Wan took a breath to steady his emotions. He felt so much after what Cody said.

“You are all so _bright_ in the Force. Have I ever told you that?” he asked after a long moment.

“No, you haven’t,” the clone replied.

“Master Yoda has a saying, ‘luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.’ Your souls shine in the Force and I don’t know how anyone who sees that doesn’t realize how precious you all are. I wish I could make every last person in the Senate see and feel it as I do. Maybe then they’d understand. Maybe then they’d be more motivated to find a diplomatic solution to this war. I wish it hadn’t taken a war to bring you all to us. But I will never regret knowing you,” Obi-Wan told him honestly. 

“You changed our _world_ when you found us. Every Commander I know hoped to be the one who got to be your second,” Cody said quietly. “I’m honored to serve with you.”

“I know your fellow Commanders are all skilled. But I am very pleased it was you who was assigned to me,” Obi-Wan said fondly. “I’m honored to have you.”

CWCWCWCWCWCW


	4. Question Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan hears a lots of whispers and realizes his men have a lot of questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flufftober prompt #13: Whispers
> 
> Many thanks to [Papook](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Papook/pseuds/Papook) for letting me borrow Ink Squad!

CWCWCWCWCW

It took Obi-Wan a while to realize what so many of the whispers he would hear were about. They were about _him._ Or about the Jedi. His men had so many questions due to the lack of information the Kaminoans gave them. Some of his men would ask him questions directly, but others were too uncertain. He wondered how to best fix it. 

After the men became comfortable asking him about books, he had an idea.

CWCWCWCWCW

“Cody, if I occasionally held sessions where the men could ask me questions, would that be of interest?” Obi-Wan asked.

He and his Commander had finished going over trooper evaluations and were enjoying a quiet cup of tea.

“I think so, sir. Some of the men are comfortable asking you questions in the mess or if they see you in the halls. But some of the men aren’t comfortable doing that because they’re too convinced they’re bothering you. If they _know_ a time and place is specifically designated for questions, they would likely find it easier,” Cody told him.

“Then I shall start doing it,” the Jedi said with a smile.

The Commander returned the smile. These little reminders of how much the General cared about the men were nice.

CWCWCWCWCW

Cody and Waxer arranged it. They set piled mats up in the one gym so everyone that wanted to attend could be comfortable.

“Any questions about the Jedi Order, myself or the galaxy in general that you have, please don’t hesitate to ask. If I don’t know the answer, I will do my best to learn it for you,” Obi-Wan said with a smile, hoping to put the men at ease. “We don’t have to be too formal about this. If you have a question, please just ask.”

There were a few moments of quiet shuffling. It seemed no one wanted to go first. Cody had a few questions, he knew Waxer and Boil did too, but they didn’t want the men to feel like they were trying to control the session.

But if none of the men were comfortable about to start….

“How young do Jedi start training, sir?” Cody asked.

Obi-Wan lit up, grateful to his Commander for getting the ball rolling.

“Very young. It starts with simple games in the creche to teach control and stories to teach our history, before moving to more formal lessons as we reach normal school age for our species,” he explained.

“So not all that different from cadets,” Cody mused.

The Jedi thought about it for a moment.

“No really, no.”

After their Commander broke the proverbial ice, many of the men relaxed. A brave shiny spoke up, with obvious encouragement from his squadmates.

“And your name, please?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Ink Squad, sir! I’m Squid. That’s Ceph, Moll, Naut and Cuttle,” Squid said, gesturing to the appropriate trooper as he named them.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Obi-Wan said with a kind smile. “You had a question?”

“Well, sir…it’s just that…we’ve heard stories about Jedi and animals. Is it really true that a Jedi can tame any animal they come across?” Squid asked.

Obi-Wan couldn’t help the laugh.

“As helpful as that would be, it isn’t completely true. Some animals cannot be affected by the Force. And in other cases, it is the Jedi that cannot accomplish the task. Taming an angry, hurt or frightened animal isn’t easy. It requires _connecting_ with the creature. Some of us possess the ability, but others struggle with it. The Force grants many abilities and gifts. No one person could truly be a master of all of them,” he explained.

“So not all Generals going around making friends with the local wildlife like you do?” Cody teased.

Waxer, Boil, Wooley and Trapper didn’t even try to hide their laughter. A few of the shinies look nervous.

“Now, my dear Commander, I have no idea what you are trying to imply!” Obi-Wan teased back.

Cody snorted.

“Of course not, General. My mistake.”

CWCWCWCWCW

After that first successful session, more were planned. Some of the men still seemed to hesitate, but Ink Squad felt more comfortable asking their General questions.

“We’ve heard you and the other generals mention the Jedi Code, sir. What, exactly, is that?” Ceph asked.

Murmurs rippled around the room. A common question then, Obi-Wan mused.

“You certainly chose an interesting question, Ceph. Simply put, the Jedi Code is the set of rules that Jedi live by. Or attempt to live by to the best of our abilities,” the General explained.

“Is it hard to follow?” Squid asked. 

“Some find it so. The path of the Jedi isn’t an easy one, even outside of war. It isn't a way of life that is suitable for everyone, not even for all Force sensitives,” Obi-Wan explained.

“Is it...can we ask what it says, sir?” Waxer asked, intrigued.

He could also tell the shinies wanted to know but felt that was asking too much.

The General grinned ruefully.

“Of course. Now, I give you fair warning. There are many Jedi that struggle with the exact meaning of the Code…”

CWCWCWCWCW


	5. Lightsabers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of the men asks how lightsabers work. Obi-Wan is happy to explain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flufftober Prompt #20: Enigmatic

CWCWCWCWCW

Many of the Jedi’s practices seemed enigmatic. But none more so than the ones related to their lightsabers. Most of the clones had questions, but it seemed such a forbidding topic. And so few of them even got to see a lightsaber up close. Usually they only saw them when their Generals were using them during battle.

The 212th was proud that their Commander was trusted enough to handle their General’s lightsaber. They were _less_ proud of their General for _dropping it_ so frequently.

“My lightsaber _likes_ Cody. That’s hardly my fault!” The General protested.

“Of course, sir,” Cody said with a grin.

Obi-Wan smiled back, but insisted, “I am being truthful. My kyber crystal _likes_ you. It doesn’t like everyone.”

None of them were quite sure how to take that. Silence fell over the room. No one seemed to know what to say.

Finally, Wooley asked a question he knew had been burning in the minds of clones throughout the GAR.

“General, how does a lightsaber work?”

Obi-Wan smiled brightly.

“Allow me to show you!”

Gasps sounded across the room and the assembled clones gathered closer to their General. The Jedi lay his saber out on the mat in front of him.

“Now, the lightsaber is made up of a number of different components….”

After he described the outer casings, he lifted the saber into the air with the Force. Then he carefully used the Force to separate the major components. He carefully set them back down.

The men watched as their General held each piece aloft as he explained what it did. They had no idea building a lightsaber required so many pieces!

“And this, is the most important component in the lightsaber. The kyber crystal,” Obi-Wan explained.

He told them about how the crystals worked in the saber, how there were a few other choices but kyber was the traditional.

“So, there are just boxes of these crystals stored at the Temple?” Trapper asked.

“Well, there are _some,_ yes. If a Jedi loses their saber in a battle, they don’t necessarily have time to go to Ilum for a replacement,” Obi-Wan replied.

“Ilum? What’s that?” Wooley asked.

“Ilum has been the source of kyber crystals for the Order for almost as long as there has been a Jedi Order at all. The Gathering, which is the quest to find one’s first crystal in the Crystal Cave is an important rite of passage for Jedi younglings,” the Jedi explained.

“Can you tell us about it?” Cody inquired. “Or is it a secret only for the Order?”

Obi-Wan considered for a moment.

“There are certain things that shouldn’t be shared. But there is no harm in telling you the basics,” he decided.

He explained some of the traditions related to the gathering, a few of the peculiarities related to the caves. The men were floored.

“And then, once you have your crystal, you build your lightsaber? Right?” Wooley verified.

Obi-Wan smiled.

“Each Jedi’s lightsaber is unique. A lot of time and planning goes into it. Some younglings design their saber first. Others wait and let the crystal guide them in the design. But yes, once the crystal in found, building the saber comes next.”

There were a few more questions about the sabers themselves and the protocols and traditions surrounding them.

“Do Jedi often clean their lightsabers together, like we do with our blasters and armor?” one of the Shinies.

Obi-Wan’s look was fond, but also a touch sad.

“Typically, no. Keeping one’s saber clean and in proper working order is a private task. Unless you are talking about a Master-Padawan pair. Then it can be a good bonding time or teaching tool,” he explained.

The men were quiet, awed at being allowed to see something that was apparently very personal. Quiet side conversations slowly broke out as the men digested what they had seen and been told.

“Thank you,” Cody said softly.

Obi-Wan pressed his shoulder into his Commander’s.

“I enjoy getting to share with the men like this,” he said quietly. He paused before adding, “I meant it, Cody. My crystal likes you, likes your presence. It never protests you handling it. That’s…rare.”

CWCWCWCWCW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've seen the idea that Obi-Wan's lightsaber _likes_ Cody in several fics and I really like it. So I had to use it.


	6. Telling a Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On an easy march, Obi-Wan shares a story from his days in the creche.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our last installment of this fic! 
> 
> Flufftober prompt #26: On the Road  
> Clonetober prompt: Plastoid
> 
> I hope you have enjoyed seeing Obi-Wan and his troopers bonding! There is a lack of it in fandom and that makes me sad!

CWCWCWCWCW

They had secured the planet but there was a facility with a communications tower that needed to be evaluated. They were able to fly relatively close, but due to the terrain they still had to hike a few miles through dense forest to reach the clearing the tower was situated in. It was a warm but not too hot day; the sun was out and there weren’t going to be any droids shooting at that. All in all, it was going to be an easy march. Obi-Wan was glad; they had been under a lot of strain lately. An easy few days would be beneficial.

As the men prepared to move out, Obi-Wan listened to the familiar sounds of plastoid armor being double checked and refastened. He was grateful for what protection the armor afforded the men, but he wished they were able to provide better. At least none of them would have to worry too much about it on that particular day.

“We’re almost ready, General,” Cody reported as the clone came to stand at his side.

The Jedi smiled.

“Excellent, Commander. We will get on the road as soon as everyone is prepared. We don’t have to rush; there’s no need to push the men too hard.”

The clone’s smile was evident in his tone.

“Yes, sir.” He added teasingly, “It’s a nice day for a walk.”

Obi-Wan smiled.

“Yes, it most certainly is.”

Less than ten minutes later, the men and the few small vehicles they were taking with supplies in case of trouble along the way or after arrival were ready to begin their march. Once they were well set on their path, the men began to talk amongst themselves. Obi-Wan could hear the occasional laughter as someone told a joke or a funny story.

“Commander, any chance we can get you to tell a story about you and some of the other CCs growing up on Kamino?” Wooley asked some time later, doing his best to look innocent.

Cody snorted.

“None whatsoever.”

Wooley attempted his best kicked tooka expression, but the Commander didn’t cave. This was unsurprising so he was undeterred. The trooper tried again.

“What about you, General? Any stories from your childhood you’d be willing to tell us?”

The kicked tooka face had a much stronger impact on the General. It always did.

“Why, of course, Wooley! There were a number of…incidents…that I believe you would all find entertaining to hear about,” Obi-Wan said with a smile.

A small cheer went up from the men close enough to hear. They always enjoyed learning about the Jedi. A fun story from their General’s childhood? Sounded great to them.

“Hmmm, now which to tell…ah! Yes. I do believe you will all find this story amusing. When I was an Initiate, about 11 or so, several of my friends and I played a prank that turned the fountains in the Room of a Thousand fountains varying colors,” Obi-Wan began.

“Why do I get the feeling Vos was involved with this?” Cody asked.

Obi-Wan laughed.

“Because he most assuredly was! It was his idea, in fact.”

“I am completely, utterly shocked,” Cody deadpanned.

Waxer snorted, Boil rolled his eyes and Wooley laughed outright. They enjoyed getting to see their Commander’s sarcastic side…when he was aimed at someone else!

“How’d you do it, sir?” Trapper asked.

“Quinlan had the idea, as I said. He also procured the necessary items. I still don’t know _how_ he did it, but he did. My friend Bant is Mon Calamari. She knows the Temple water system inside an out. Between them, they came up with quite the plan. The three of us recruited two other friends of ours and we carried it out quietly late one night. Each of us was responsible for getting the special dye Quinlan had acquired into a specific location,” Obi-Wan explained.

He told them all of the details of the planning and execution. The clones were stunned. They had never thought that their General had been the kind to get into trouble!

“How did the other Jedi react?” Boil asked curiously.

“It was quite the to-do the next morning when people started going there to meditate. Instead of the normal _expected_ color of water…some were purple, others red, some bright green, a number were a mix of colors,” Obi-Wan said, smiling at the memories.

The men laughed as the imagined the disgruntled Jedi that morning. It was such a change of pace from what they would expect.

“Were they able to fix it?” Waxer asked.

“Yes, they were. But it took days for them to completely filter the colorant out,” the Jedi replied with a grin.

“Did you get caught?” Wooley inquired.

Obi-Wan sighed.

“Unfortunately, one of my friends couldn’t keep quiet, so yes. We did. We had garden duty for a month, but it was worth it!”

Another round of laughter followed. They never would have taken their General for that type. Finding out that he had such a playful side was wonderful.

“Of course, when barely three months later we put soap bubbles in the fountains they were less forgiving,” Obi-Wan said. “Now, I do believe we are nearly there…”

“General! You can’t stop there!” Wooley implored.

The Jedi grinned.

“Another time, I promise.”

The men looked forward to it.

CWCWCWCWCW


End file.
